This year pineapples have yielded a good output in Moulvibazar and the local markets are now full of the sweet-smelling seasonal fruit. But orchard owners and farmers are worried since, with transportation restrictions in place due to Covid-19, most of their fruits will perish for the lack of preservation facilities.
Farmers in Satagaon, Muchhai, Mirzapur, Bhunbi, Bhairabbazar, Dalubari, Radhanagar and Mohajerabad in Sreemangal upazila have all voiced such concerns.
This correspondent has learned that a good number of pineapples are cultivated in the hilly areas and flatlands of Shamshernagar, Bimanghati, Madhabpur, Majherchhara, Puranbari and Adampur in Kamalganj upazila.
Every day farmers from these areas take seasonal fruits like pineapples, lemons and jackfruits to the New Market in Sreemangal. There retailers and wholesalers collect these fruits at a lower price because of higher supply, depriving orchard owners and farmers of fair prices.
On a visit to the New Market, this correspondent saw that farmers were selling each large pineapple at Tk35-40, medium ones at Tk25-30 each and small ones at Tk12-15 to wholesalers. Prices would be twice such figures in non-pandemic circumstances.
Abdul Bachhit, a pineapple farmer, and Abdul Malek, an orchard owner, said pineapples were widely cultivated in the hilly areas of the district. The produce is being sold in Moulvibazar Sadar, Sylhet, Sunamganj and Habiganj, which is not enough. Last year, these pineapples were sent throughout the country, including Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar.
Another pineapple farmer, Md Shahed Ahmed, said that despite a good pineapple yield this year, he was unable to cover his expenses as out of town traders could not get to his produce because of the travel restrictions in place.
Nirmal Aditya, a wholesaler and owner of M/s Nepal Aditya & Sons, said pineapple traders from Dhaka, Narsingdi and Bogra throng to Sreemangal at this time of the year. Without their presence, pineapple as well as jackfruit farmers have not been getting fair prices for the fruits.
Kazi Lutful Bari, deputy director, Department of Agricultural Extension Moulvibazar, said: “Pineapples have been cultivated on 1,201 hectares in the district. The district always sees a good pineapple yield. However, farmers are counting losses due to a lack of cold storage facilities.
“If cold storage and processing industries were developed in Sreemangal, traders and farmers would benefit considerably. I will report the matter to the higher authorities,” he added.
Sreemangal Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nazrul Islam told Dhaka Tribune that these seasonal fruits produced in Sreemangal were supplied all over the country. “Perishable goods have to be transferred quickly or they rot and incur losses. Therefore, cold storage facilities are an imperative in the upazila. So, I would like to draw the attention of the authorities concerned in this regard.”
